Bangladesh court summons officials as worker delivers baby at factory toilet

A day after a footwear factory worker was forced to give birth to a child at a toilet, a High Court Division bench in Bangladesh has summoned its three officials to appear before it on May 24.

The worker Hamida Akter gave birth to the baby in the toilet of the factory in Gazipur on the outskirts of capital Dhaka Saturday hours after her maternity leave application was rejected.

The newborn baby was found dead.

The High Court bench of Justice Quazi-Reza-Ul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman issued the order as a suo moto move following local media reports.

Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director, Azizur Rahman, inspector, and Ratan Mia, supervisor, of Apex Footwear Factory have been asked to respond into the matter.

The bench also directed the state machinery to probe the incident and submit a report by May 24.